(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to holders which attach to footwear and display logos outside the pant leg. Those with ordinary skill in the art are designers and makers of footwear.
(2) Description of the Related Art
Boots and shoes are well known forms of protective foot gear. The parts of shoes and boots are generally constructed from a sturdy material such as leather; the foot covering having one layer of material while the sole may have several laminated layers or one layer which is thicker than that used for the foot covering. In the case of a boot, a tubular leg covering for the lower leg is attached to the foot covering. The purpose of the leg covering is to provide a similar protective barrier between the lower leg and environmental hazards much like the foot covering provides the foot.
Boots are often worn by construction workers and other laborers who are concerned with protecting their feet and lower legs while performing their duties. Today the styling of the boot has evolved to include versions which have more emphasis on fashion than utility. As a result, there are many different styles of boots.
The evolution and use of the cowboy boot was necessitated by the hazards to the feet and lower leg presented by the environment in which the cowboy worked. Even though these men were usually on horseback when wrangling cattle, there were still bushes and briars high enough to scrape a rider's legs. When not on horseback, the cowboy walked through range lands which were fraught with other prickly hazards such as rattle snakes and cactus. For this reason the additional leg protection provided by the tubular leg covering of the boot was desirable.
Today, the cowboy boot is worn less for practical purposes and more as an avenue for stylistic expression. The environment in which most cowboy boots are now worn presents little threat to the lower leg, however, the tubular leg protection has been retained as part of the cowboy boot's design.
Today's wearer of cowboy boots makes a fashion statement by way of his choice in foot apparel; that statement is that he associates himself with the country and western lifestyle.
There is a distinctive style of dress associated with the country and western lifestyle and includes several specific characteristics. A predominate characteristic of the country and western style of dress is the use of accessories to coordinate the various pieces of clothing being worn and may even be extended to coordinate with horseback riding gear. The riding gear is often adorned with silver decorations called "conchos" which are attached to the saddle and other parts of the riding gear. The conchos are often embossed with the rider's initials, the symbol of his ranch, or other designs of significance.
Accessories with similar emblems are often worn on several pieces of clothing in an effort to coordinate more completely entire outfits. When accessorizing, more emphasis is placed on the upper body because these areas are more easily and frequently seen by others. For this reason the lower portions of the body and the apparel that covers those areas is frequently left unaccessorized. This is especially true for the lower extremities.
Most structures that are designed to be attached to either shoes or boots have purposes other than decoration or fashion coordination. For examples of these types of attachments, see the following United States Patents:
Puffer U.S. Pat. No. 668,051 Trousers Protector
Plummer U.S. Pat. No. 898,503 Overshoe Holder and Trousers Supports
Young U.S. Pat. No. 1,005,401 Trousers Protector
Knodle U.S. Pat. No. 2,557,663 Shoe Advertising Attachment
Morris U.S. Pat. No. 3,844,054 Stabilizer for a Shoe
The above referenced related art is predominantly utilitarian in nature and not decorative. The Puffer, Young, and Plummer patents all have the primary purpose of supporting the bottom of the trouser leg at some elevation above ground level. All three of these patents show an apparatus that is attached to the back of the foot covering at the heel. The purpose of these inventions is to restrain the pant leg at a height high enough so that the pant leg does not drag the ground or extend below a specific point on the shoe. The Morris patent shows a stabilizer that is attached to the sole of the shoe. It is neither decorative in nature nor does it interact with the pant leg. The Knodle patent could be construed as decorative in nature, but the design is displayed on the foot covering of a shoe just below the ankle. Like the Morris patent, this attachment does not interact with the pant leg.